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Your PR Plan for the New Year
Copyright © 2002 - 2010 by Susan Harrow. All rights reserved.
As you consider what matters most to you and how you're
going to spend your next year promoting your business,
consider speed, efficiency, fun, and what really juices you.
Max Planck, Nobel Prize-winning physicist says, "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at
change."
As we near the holidays and take time to be with ourselves
and our families, there is no better time to ponder how you
view the world and what you want around you for the new
year. My colleague, publicist Nancy Juetten, told me that
she had a life changing experience at Miraval Resort & Spa a
year ago. She did Equestrian training which allowed her to
see how she moved through the world personally and
professionally.
I was intrigued enough to want to know how Miraval described
the experience: "Miraval's Equine Experience gives you the
opportunity to learn to communicate with horses—animals
that, by nature, have the ability to read your energy
immediately. But as you'll soon find out, "It's not about
the horse."
You'll perform equestrian ground skills that often bring to
light personal patterns that may be holding you back from
the life you want to live. These patterns may be causing
stress in your life and damaging your relationships. Learn
how to recognize the power—or lack of it—in your actions
and how to overcome your fears and uncertainties."
Guess what? Publicity is the same. It's not about the media.
What I've found working with dozens of people personally
one-on-one and hundreds in seminars and talks is that mostly
what holds people back isn't a poorly written press release,
it's the pitfalls of their personality and their past. So,
before you map out your publicity campaign for the year I
suggest the following:
1. Remove the Obstacles.
Clear out any patterns that are holding you back from
getting what you truly want. You've heard the expression "Perception is projection." It's true for your media
experiences as well. David Neagle has taken this "art"
almost to a science in his courses. To get started, you can
download your complimentary copy of the "Art of Success"
(mp3s) here.
It takes two to Tango and you can learn to be an excellent
PR partner both leading and following with practice.
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love," said
something like she wanted a smaller material life and more
room for a spiritual life. Me too. Change yourself and the
world around you changes.
2. Take the Quick Path.
Starting PR can be like starting a diet. We need results
fast. We want to see that eating all those vegetables is
paying off, especially when chocolate cake lurks close by.
Publicist Nancy Juetten has just the thing—for $10!
Shauna Brennan, founder of
My Day Office, said that the Media-Savvy-to-Go tips booklets had a major effect on her business: Shauna
got a front page story in the business section of the
Seattle Post Intelligencer by following Nancy's tips. She
said, "Talk about return on investment. It was a little bit
of work, but so what! In less time than it would have taken
to explain it to someone else, I was able to do it myself.
That is the true beauty of it. I take these booklets with me
everywhere I go. I use them as a checklist. They are small
and convenient and fit easily in a briefcase or Daytimer. I
plan to share them with my customers to support their
success."
It's like getting to eat dessert before you've finished your
meal.
Get your Media-Savvy-to-Go tips booklets here.
3. Develop the Big Picture.
For the past few weeks I've been working with one of my
clients to make a blueprint of their entire PR year with a
time line. So far, we've already established that they will
send out 2 press releases a month to leave room for breaking
news.
They are buying the
gift list so we can have ample time to contact the media for holidays,
special occasions, magazine inserts and any other media
worthy day slated in the media's editorial calendars that
coincides with my client's company's values and goals.
We are taking into consideration their long-term goals which
consist of positioning their company and the CEO as a leader
in their industry, creating a vibrant community, making
strategic alliances with other businesses and foundations,
and growing their corporate and direct to consumer sales.
Sometimes it takes several weeks to distill what it is
that's most important to you in the big picture and then the
smaller picture emerges naturally. Your values will drive
your big picture plan, so taking the time to get clear on
who you want to work with, what you want to feel, and the
experience you want your customers/clients/constituents to
experience pays off well. It's important to marry your
intentions to time for continuity and peace of mind.
If you'd like some guidance in developing your strategic
marketing and publicity plan then
get in touch with me here.
Brainstorming and developing a cohesive brand, creative
angles, pitches, and niches are some of my favorite things
to do.
4. Get Help.
If we could only do just the things that bring us joy! In a
world that's crammed with email, voicemail and mindmail,
there's hardly room for a single thought or breath. I have a
one word solution. Delegate. I know this one is hard for
entrepreneurs, but you can do it a little at a time. I
started three years ago when I hired my VA (Virtual
Assistant) Kelly Poelker.
I no longer wake up in the middle of the night frantically
scribbling a note in the dark about some forgotten task
whose deadline had passed. With Kelly's help, I breathe
easier. She doesn't just wipe items off my to-do list, she's
a true partner in helping me think out what I want to
accomplish and then breaking down the tasks to make it all
happen.
Elizabeth Gilbert said that she's a better person when she
has less on her plate. Me too. I give those irksome items
that threaten my sanity to Kelly who has a rare opening in
her schedule. So if you've been considering doing only the
things that make you happy and juice your creativity,
contact Kelly toll-free at 8-MORE HOURS (866-734-6877) or kp@another8hours.com
5. Keep Connected.
You've heard over and over again that getting good media
coverage is about building relationships. It's true. And
many of you don't want to manage a database or send out
press releases on a regular basis to grow those contacts.
There is another way:
PR Leads.
When you subscribe to this service, you'll get reporters'
requests for experts along with story leads sent to your
email in-box almost daily. Expect leads from every
publication from the New York Times to People magazine from
media who is on a deadline and needs your input.
Hardly a week goes by when I don't respond to a lead that
comes through PR Leads. One of my clients, Jeanne Hurlbert
(www.optinetresources.com,
www.readinets.com),
who didn't even have her website complete before she got
major press, has had phenomenal success using this service.
NOTE:
www.optinetresources.com is in the middle of
changing servers. If you cannot get through please try
again later.
Jeanne, an expert in social networking, disaster prevention
and recovery, and creating surveys, has been quoted in The
New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Smart Money,
Health and much more. She's a fantastic storyteller and
excellent at what she does so her press is justified. These
are skills she learned in short order and had the
opportunity to apply them weekly when she regularly gets
call backs from reporters and producers.
6. Bring joy.
On my gravestone I would like to have carved, "She brought
joy." If I can sum up my mission in a sentence, that would
be it. I'm continually reminded about how challenging it is
to follow the Dalai Lama's credo, "Be kind whenever
possible. It's always possible."
While it may be possible, I have found myself severely
challenged doing media and conducting my personal and
professional life to adhere to these wise words. But when I
do, I find I can more easily bring more joy. And the joy
spreads like good news.
I consistently ponder the words of poet Mary Oliver from her
poem "The Summer Day":
"Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?"
What is it you will do with yours?
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Susan Harrow, CEO of
http://prsecrets.com, is
a top media coach, marketing strategist and author of
Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul® (HarperCollins),
The
Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah, and
Get a 6-
Figure Book Advance. Clients include Fortune 500 CEOs, bestselling authors and entrepreneurs who have appeared on
Oprah, 60 Minutes, NPR, and in TIME, USA Today, Parade,
People, O, NY Times, WSJ, and Inc. |
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